Flu-only clinic opens today What are you doing to me? This toddler takes time out from her flood of tears to check out exactly what's happening at the business end of last week's flu shot. (Gazette, Lorelei Reid)     VAUDREUIL-DORION - Anyone who suspects they may have the flu is being directed to a new regional flu-only walk-in clinic at 412 Harwood in Dorion. Opening today (Wednesday, Nov. 11), the clinic's hours are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week. Everybody will be seen the same day without an appointment. The clinic is being staffed by the Vaudreuil-Soulanges region's doctors to try to prevent sick patients from infecting others while they're waiting in clinics and doctor's offices. "Every day, we see a few cases," Hudson Medi-centre's Dr. Julie Leclair said Monday. "It's definitely in the community...we're overwhelmed." Meanwhile, the H1N1 vaccination schedule is being moved forward one week, allowing expectant moms and anyone from six months to 65 suffering from chronic illness (diabetes, asthma, bronchitis, heart failure, etc.) to get their flu shots beginning Monday. Montérégie public health director Dr. Jocelyne Sauvé took the decision Sunday to start vaccinating people 19 to 65 years with chronic illness a week earlier than originally planned. Close to 10,000 shots have already been administered by the CSSS de Vaudreuil-Soulanges, the sole outlet in the region. The vaccination clinic at 430 Harwood Blvd. is open Monday to Friday from noon to 8 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Vaccination clinics have come up with a new approach to get rid of lineups and cut down wait time and the risk of infection. Upon arrival, individuals are given a ticket specifying a time to return for the vaccination. The approach seems to be working well thus far. Currently, the clinic in Vaudreuil-Dorion is giving two half-dose injections to toddlers, with a second dose given three weeks after the first. Research is being conducted to determine whether the second dose is necessary. If not, families will be advised not to return. Clinics are now asking for proof in the form of prescriptions or medications that clients are in designated priority groups. Visit the www.pandemiequebec.gouv.qc.ca for the complete schedule. The Montérégie saw its first death from the second wave of H1N1 last Tuesday. The 42-year-old female victim was otherwise healthy, aside from a mild case of asthma. This marks the fourth death related to swine flu in Quebec since September. There have been significantly more flu infections at this time of year than usual, but the number of deaths in Quebec associated with swine flu is still lower than with seasonal flu. As of Monday, the Lester B. Pearson School Board estimated their absenteeism rate, elementary and high school combined, is 10.5 percent, with 4.2 percent of the absences reportedly due to flu-like symptoms. Three schools, including Forest Hill Junior, reported more than 10 percent absenteeism. Since August 30, in Montérégie alone, there have been more than 130 hospitalizations attributed to H1N1, including 13 cases considered severe. Last spring, the first wave of H1N1 saw a total of 57 hospitalizations, 14 of them severe, and three deaths.